View source for Meged Yisra'el

'''Meged Yisra'el''' (born '''Melvin David Miller''' in [[1957]] in Dayton, Ohio) is a former professional football player, now serving 17 years in federal prison for drug offenses.

Miller was born to a single mother in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in the Lutheran Church of the Redeemers. He majored in medical arts at the Patterson Cooperative High School and worked at the Dayton VA Medical Center while also playing football and running on the varsity track team.

In [[1974]] he entered the University of Dayton on a full football scholarship and helped start the school's track program. After graduating he played for the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. He was signed to the NFL's New York Jets for the [[1978]]-[[1979|79]] season, but released after one year.

During the 1970s Miller became a practicing Black Hebrew Israelite and also began using drugs. In [[1980]] Miller moved to [[Birmingham]] and enrolled in the business program at [[UAB]]. He also worked with [[Toys for Tots]] and met [[Migdawlaw Yisra'el|Mildred Morgan]], whom he married in December [[1983]].

By [[1990]] the Millers, now using the names Meged and Migdawlaw Yisra'el, had returned to Dayton with the first of their eight children. By [[1997]], Yisra'el, with the assistance of his wife, was wholesaling marijuana to Dayton area dealers. Yisra'el pleaded guilty to conspiracy drug trafficking and related offenses from a [[2004]] indictment. Migdawlaw left him and returned with the younger children to Birmingham.

==References==
* Grieco, Lou (December 31, 2007) "Man's case left 'a wake the size of a tidal wave' on community." ''Dayton Daily News''.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yisra'el, Meged}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:UAB alumni]]
[[Category:Football players]]
[[Category:Criminals]]